


Joy and Love are the main ingredients

by Monstrous_Moonshine



Series: Good Things Happen bingo [2]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Boys In Love, Breakfast in Bed, Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Soft Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, they are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29591994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monstrous_Moonshine/pseuds/Monstrous_Moonshine
Summary: Written for my good things happen bingo card prompt: breakfast in bedDedicated to Jackie!TK cooks Carlos breakfast in bed.  There’s a lot of sweetness and fluff and not much else I’m afraid!
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Good Things Happen bingo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164440
Comments: 6
Kudos: 128
Collections: my favorite tarlos fics <3





	Joy and Love are the main ingredients

Carlos wakes up to a quiet bedroom, curtains drawn so the light isn’t coming straight in and falling on his face, but his bed is cold and empty. He rolls over, trying to listen to see why the normally loud and excitable house is so quiet. It’s a little alarming, because it’s so unusual. At this time on a Sunday, there’s usually the noise of tv shows, of bickering, of giggles and laughter and chatter. But today there’s nothing.

He swings his legs out of bed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. But when he goes to stand up, to see what’s going on, a soft humph from the door makes him do a double take.

Avery, his six year old daughter, is sitting in the doorway, her blonde hair plaited and tossed over one shoulder, in a pink sparkly dress that he’s not sure he’s ever seen before. “Papa,” she says, in a voice he’s come to recognise means she is the one in complete control of the situation. “What are you doing?”

“Morning, sweet pea,” Carlos says and he holds out his arms for a good morning kiss. Avery gives him an almost suspicious look, like he’s trying to get her to forget something, before she flings herself at him and kisses him hello soundly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, but Papa, why are you getting up?”

“What’s going on?” he asks instead of answering her question but Avery scowls a little.

“It’s a secret,” she says and she sounds exasperated in the way only a six year old can, like he’s silly for asking the most obvious question. “So I can’t tell you yet. But you need to get back in bed and wait there until I come back in. Please?”

She looks up at him with such a pleading look in her green eyes that Carlos can’t say no to her, and with a sigh, he sits back into bed, pulling his tablet closer to him so at least he can read. She beams like it’s the best decision he’s ever made and Carlos knows exactly who rules the Reyes-Strand household these days.

“Don’t get up,” she begs, “pinky promise” and she makes him link their little fingers together and swear he’s not going to try to discover what’s actually going on in his home. Then she gives him a toothy grin and dances off, voice loud as she calls through the home. “Daddy! Daddy! Papa is awake but he’s promised me he’s staying in bed!”

Carlos grins and shakes his head at whatever is going on. TK better have a good handle on the situation, two kids under six and strict orders to stay away means he’s all on his own now and Carlos can’t wait to see exactly what his plan is.

  
  


TK had deployed Avery as a lookout, knowing full well his husband would probably be waking up well before they are ready for his breakfast in bed surprise. Ever since the first adoption had come through, they’ve not really been able to celebrate special days like birthdays or Christmas or Valentine’s in the way they would have before. It’s been hard enough to get time alone during the rest of the year when at least they could bribe family or friends to babysit. But today he wants to do something special for Carlos, him and their beautiful children.

So after he’d dressed Avery in her pretty new dress she’d insisted he buy and he couldn’t say no because he’s twisted around her little finger like no one’s business, and plaited her hair just how she wanted it, he’d left her to look after a beautifully slumbering Carlos and taken Gaige into the kitchen with him. Gaige isn’t dressed up yet, he’s helping Daddy to cook breakfast after all and so TK has promised he’ll be able to wear his special outfit after they're finished. At four, Gaige is still more easily convinced than his big sister, his large dark eyes trusting and smiling happily as TK kisses him soundly and sits him on the high chair so he can help. They’re sorting the ingredients into bowls for breakfast, Gaige happily pulling the stalks off mushrooms and beating the eggs, concentrating so hard it makes TK want to laugh at his serious little face, and stealing handfuls of cheese when he thinks Daddy isn't looking. TK’s using the knife carefully, chopping things up and putting them in bowls and he’s undone the can of cinnamon rolls because he knows the kids will hate the omelettes he’s making and they will demand the rolls anyway so he may as well be prepared. He’s so happy at this moment in time, he feels like his world is complete. It’s been ten years since he and Carlos met, they’ve been married for six and they’ve had their beautiful children for the last three of those and he falls in love with his husband more and more each day. Today is not a special day, but yet to him, every single day feels special because of the love he knows the four of them share.

He’s being a soppy git and so he’s actually quite pleased to hear the noises from upstairs, that tell him that Avery is telling Carlos off and making him stay in bed. Sure enough, a few minutes later loud thumps tell him that their daughter is running down stairs and she soon appears in the kitchen area, red faced and her plait bouncing as she skips over to him. ““Daddy! Daddy! Papa is awake but he’s promised me he’s staying in bed” she announces, loud as she squeezes him tight around the middle. “So can we get on with the surprise now?”

“Yeah, surprise!” Gaige chips in, grabbing another handful of cheese and TK does laugh at that moment, tickling the little boy under his chin and kissing both kids on the head with a loud smacking noise before letting them go to start the breakfast he’s making. They giggle at him, happy and so loving and TK’s heart is so full he thinks he could burst.

He grabs the pan for the omelettes and lets Avery loose on the cinnamon rolls, shaping them with careful hands and whilst the pans warming up he slips them in the oven for them. Now he has both kids trying to help him with a hot pan and he’s never more thankful that he’s fire safety trained just in case. He can just imagine what Carlos would say if he managed to set the kitchen on fire. He gets the egg into the pan and lets them choose what they want to include for Papa and then they sprinkle the ingredients on loudly and joyfully. TK does shudder a little at their choices, he’s not sure how peppers, mushrooms, ham, chicken and olives are going to taste first thing in the morning, but at least he manages to convince Gaige not to add chocolate chips. He puts it in the grill whilst he starts his own omelette, just as the oven pings and the kids squeal excitedly at the fact that they can ice the rolls with the water icing provided.

TK watches them fondly as he keeps an eye on both the omelettes he’s got on the go. He didn’t think he could love anybody as much as loves Carlos, until these two rays of sunshine came into their lives. Now he knows what it means to be feral in love, because he would do anything for the three people who own his heart. And if anyone ever hurts them, well, TK has all of the fire equipment at the station at hand and he’s not afraid to use any of it.

Avery is decorating her rolls carefully with lines and swirls but Gaige is loudly dolloping massive lumps of icing all over his and TK is so pleased he’s arranged a babysitting date for them today because they are going to be so high on sugar they’ll be hyperactive and he has plans for what he wants to do with Carlos that doesn’t include two adorable little monsters. TK laughs at them both, as Avery scolds Gaige for making a mess and Gaige pouts a little, his eyes large and wide and manages to get icing in his curls and Avery squeals when he tries to touch her plait with the same messy hand. He scoops up a finger full of icing and can’t help himself, smearing it onto their noses and seeing both of their faces turn to him in outrage.

“Daddy!” Avery cries, loud and shrill and Gaige imitates her as he normally does.

“Daddy, Daddy!” he shouts and then TK has his arms full of them as they fling themselves at him, icing ready to rub all over him too. He’s laughing so hard at them both, as their little fingers push icing into his perfect hair and over his neck and under his T-shirt and it might be the most perfect moment he’s ever had in his life. He manages to quieten them down eventually.

“Remember, we don’t want to disturb Papa,” he says quietly, shushing them with a finger to each of their lips and as their eyes lighten up as they remember the little surprise they’re planning they snuggle in close, each one under an arm. 

“Papa’s going to love it,” Gaige says confidently.

“Of course he will,” Avery says, like nothing is in doubt. “Daddy is a great cook.”

TK can’t help himself, he leans down and kisses both of them, pulling them close into his arms. “I love you both so much,” he says, low and quiet and is rewarded by a smacking kiss from Avery on his cheek as she snuggles in even closer and Gaige getting his arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. His eyes are full and his lips are trembling at how much he loves them and it’s lovely.

Until he sniffs and realises the omelettes are burning.

Carlos lies in bed trying to read once Avery has bounded away. He can hear his family downstairs, laughter, giggles and TK’s voice, then quiet before more giggles break through the air. He thinks back on everything they’ve been through. The first time he’d seen TK, at the first call he’d been on with the new 126 crew, thinking how gorgeous the young, unknown firefighter had been. The following night, at the bar, spending his night looking over at him as he chatted to his dad, finally plucking up the courage to ask him to dance. He’s never been more thankful that he was brave enough to do that, because if he hadn’t then his life wouldn’t be what it is now. Even though the first few months of their on off relationship had been hard on Carlos, he’d understood the need to give TK space, to let him set the pace. He tries not to think of that horrible time before they’d really got started when he almost lost TK before he had chance to be with him, instead focusing on what happened after. The way they’d gone from strength to strength, even with the parents incident that even now still makes him wince, moving in together, getting married. And then the kids.

He thinks back to the time they met Avery for the first time after getting the approval from adoption services. The story they’d been told about her past, her parents leaving her because drugs were more important to them, had made TK’s eyes fill with tears even before they met her, he’d known then that they wouldn’t be able to walk away from her. How she’d been an awkward three year old who had refused to lift her head from her social workers stomach when they’d sat down with her. And how when TK had told her all about their house and her room if she wanted to stay with them and Carlos had handed her the toy elephant they’d spent ages picking for her, she’d given a massive gulp and folded herself onto Carlos’ lap and not let go ever since.

Then meeting Gaige, a year later, two years old and with the largest darkest eyes full of fear that Carlos had ever seen. This time, they’d taken Avery to meet him too but TK had already pulled him to one side. “I want him,” he’d said, fiercely. “I can’t let him go. We need to get Avery to want him to because ‘Los, I couldn’t live with myself if he’s not ours.”

And they must have done something right in the year they’d had Avery because she’d been so excited about having a little brother that the meeting had gone so smoothly, better than any of them had even anticipated. Avery had spent ages playing with Gaige, building him towers and making him laugh when they knocked them down, colouring with him, giving him a lion toy she’d made TK buy for her the day before. Carlos remembers that TK had thought it had been for her, and when she’d pulled it out and placed it in Gaige’s lap and told him that they were matching safari animals because she was his big sister, TK had sobbed quietly into his arm. Carlos had pulled him in close, arm around his neck and kissed him, ignoring the kids and the social worker who was at the opposite side of the room, focusing on the man he loves with all his being. “We’re good dads,” he’d said, pressing kisses to TK’s trembling lips. “We’ve done well with her and were going to do well with him.”

TK had kissed him back, until a coughing noise from Avery had made them pull apart. She’d leant into Gaige and whispered so loud every adult still heard her. “They do that a lot, Gaigey, they kiss all the time, our daddies. They love each other very much and they love us too.”

And Carlos had cried at that too.

Every day since the moment he’d met TK has changed his life and his world and Carlos wouldn’t have it any other way. He loves them all so much.

And even though he promised Avery he’d stay in bed the temptation gets too much and he shuffles out and carefully pads downstairs to watch his family. He’s had practice of avoiding the squeaky stairs, early morning shifts still happen too frequently for his liking, so he can avoid detection by the trio in the kitchen as he sneaks to see them. He doesn’t want them to see him, he knows Avery will be annoyed with him for spoiling the surprise but he’s so glad he did it when he gets to the bottom of the stairs and spies his family in the kitchen area. They’re giggling and laughing and being so damn adorable Carlos has to take a deep breath to ground himself. TK’s smudging icing over the kid’s faces and they’re squealing as they tackle him back and he has icing in his hair and Carlos knows how much that should annoy him because Owen Strand is the only other person Carlos knows who spends as much time on their hair as TK does. But because it’s the kids, he doesn’t even bat an eyelid, grabbing them both and hugging them and kissing them and Carlos melts as the children hug him back. He can’t bear this anymore, they are all just so cute and he loves them all so much. He grabs his phone from his pajama pocket and snaps a few photos of them cuddling close before the smell of burning hits his nose and he jumps as TK lets go of the kids and curses loudly. “Oh, f… fudge,” he says and Carlos wants to laugh at what must be the look of horror on all three faces.

He sneaks back upstairs, leaving them to sort out whatever mess they’ve made and knowing full well that he’ll eat it anyway because it’s been made by TK and their children and he’s ridiculous when it comes to the three of them.

He gets back into bed and pretends to have been reading all along, jumping when there’s the sound of footsteps running up the stairs and Avery and Gaige burst into the bedroom carrying little trays in their hands. TK follows more sedately, a knowing smile on his face as he gazes as Carlos with so much love in his eyes it still makes butterflies appear in Carlos’ stomach, even now. The children put their trays somehwere and clamber onto the bed.

“Papa, papa, we made you breakfast in bed!” Avery shouts as she jumps onto his legs. Gaige is rather more careful, cuddling into Carlos’ side and raising his face for a good morning kiss that Carlos gives enthusiastically. TK rolls his eyes a little as he sorts them all out. 

“Come on guys,” he wheedles. “Avery, Gaigey, get your rolls for breakfast. Don’t forget your plates! No crumbs in the bed, your water is on Papa’s side table. And babe, good morning, omelette and juice, a Reyes-Strand special just for you.”

Carlos holds out a hand in reply, until TK slips back under the covers next to him and kisses him properly hello, ignoring the noises from both kids that gets them. “Did I forget something?” he asks, still worrying.

“No,” TK smiles as he kisses him again, soft and sweet and so gentle in the morning light. “Just wanted to do something nice for you. And Auntie Marjan has offered to take the kids to the zoo today so we can have some alone time. It’s not often we get the chance with our shifts and I just miss you.”

Carlos looks around, at the two children sitting in between their legs, eating rolls and bickering about whose has the most icing, getting sticky and sugary and then at his husband, gorgeous, beautiful and wonderful TK who he can’t imagine his life without anymore.

“What did I do to deserve this,” he says, quietly and TK shuts that off with another kiss.

“Carlos, papi,” he breathes. “I love you so, so much. And I should be asking that question too. We are both extraordinarily lucky, the day I met you was the best day of my life. I mean, we’ve had lots more since, our wedding day, getting the kids, but without that first day I’d have none of this. And I still can’t believe I have you after all this time.”

“What time is Marjan coming?” Carlos asks, letting his fingers trace over TK’s thigh under the covers and loving the slight flush that gets on his husband's cheeks.

“Not soon enough,” TK mutters but then he smiles again and reaches for the plate of breakfast he’s made. “But in the meantime enjoy your omelette, baby. I hope it’s not too burnt.”

Carlos laughs, drops a kiss onto each children’s head and then pulls TK close, kissing him too and sliding his arms around him so they can eat pressed together. Burnt omelettes may not be the most appealing thing in the world, but right now, sitting in bed with the three people he loves most in the world and who love him too, he can’t bring himself to mind too much.


End file.
